About CY

Chris Yandek – The Voice & Creator of CY

If there is a person who represents the future of celebrity and newsmaker interview journalism, you have to look no further than Chris Yandek. By the age of 26, he has interviewed the legends, stars and newsmakers of today. In an information age where opinion and editorializing garners the most attention, Chris finds himself in a media society where getting the story and asking the tough questions straight from the horses mouth is his passion. That type of journalist has been seen in some quarters as a thing of the past; often a rarity. Yandek has been up to the challenge for 10 years working with numerous print and broadcast outlets all the while building his online media platform CYInterview.com where many of his interviews are featured in full audio and text. He’s been called a future Larry King or Charlie Rose.

He started out in a prerecorded podcast and online radio format. In 2000 at the age of 15, Yandek took his passion for the world of professional wrestling and expanded it first into the print and broadcasting world by first covering his passion for wrestling. Yandek then moved into mainstream coverage of entertainment, sports, news and any current event topic one could think of.

In the world of Hollywood and the acting industry, Chris he has spoken with everyone from Hollywood icons including James Caan, Ernest Borgnine, Diahann Carroll, Robert Wagner, Angela Bassett, Burt Young, Kathleen Turner Whoopi Goldberg and Karen Allen. Also the stars of today including Zoe Saldana, Kate Beckinsale, Eva Longoria, Kevin James, Kellan Lutz, Alyssa Milano and Terrence Howard among many others. Yandek has not overlooked young Hollywood stars like Tyler James Williams and Keke Palmer. His 2011 profile of Avatar actress Zoe Saldana helped set the record straight that she didn’t have a near emotional breakdown as the media reported. The interview was covered by numerous media outlets.

In the sports field, he has tackled the likes of professional athletes and legends that include Cal Ripken Jr., Randy Moss, Evdander Holyfield, Dan Marino and George Foreman. He’s also no stranger to having candid discussions with some of America’s most brilliant and successful coaches that include former Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy, who went to numerous Super Bowls and Pat Summitt, the winningest coach in men’s or women’s college basketball history at the University of Tennessee where she’s won numerous national titles. His profile on 2008 College Football Coach of the Year and NY Times Best Selling Author Mike Leach got into great detail about his firing from Texas Tech and the media storm that followed. He’s also spoken with many Olympic athletes. In 2007, Yandek brought up the idea to figure skater and Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi to do Dancing with the Stars. During the interview, Ms. Yamaguchi was hesitant and said she didn’t really want to be judged. After several months the interview was picked up by a major entertainment news outlet, and as they say, the rest is history. Not only did Ms. Yamaguchi end up doing the reality dance show, she won it.

So far in 2011, Chris scored a one on one interview with Pittsburgh Steeler Antwaan Randle El before Super Bowl 45. He also had 35 compelling minutes with Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in a discussion about his life 12 years after Denzel Washington played him in the movie The Hurricane. His profile with figure skating and Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek was an instant hit across the internet which included the figure skating community. People got a chance to see a more personal side of Evan wondering what was in his future. Yandek also paid tribute to baseball legend Harmon Killebrew who passed away in May. Chris interviewed him in 2007. He also profiled the last surviving umpire from the Negro Baseball Leagues Bob Motley and spoke with baseball legend Darryl Strawberry on his life today.

Chris Yandek With Mya

Chris hasn’t neglected music. Yandek has spent time with many music legends and the stars of today. He spoke to Mary Wilson of the The Supremes about the fading feud between her and original group mate and music legend Diana Ross and why she is still in music today. He spoke with Kelly Rowland of the very popular girl group Destiny’s Child whose group mate Beyonce went on to other things and is one of the biggest stars in America today. Rowland set the record straight about her house not being in foreclosure and other rumored financial difficulties, not to mention her parting ways with her management representation by Beyonce’s father. She said she needed a change for the future of her music career.

Yandek’s most highly regarded moment in the subject of music and one of the highlights of his career to date is his one-hour interview with two former Sony executives–Christ Apostle and Cory Rooney on the life of Michael Jackson. The interview has been translated into numerous languages and has been seen by more than 100,000 people on the Internet. The interview gets new people checking it out every day and is an on going You Tube phenomenon.

Chris was the first person to interview R&B sensation Mya during her Dancing with the Stars run that took her all the way to the finals. He spoke with Booker T Jones who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Chilli of the best selling female group in the USA of all time, TLC. Chilli told Chris exclusively she was never married. In 2010, Yandek did a profile with Michael Bolton that his fans called the best interview he had done in years. Bolton talked about his serious dedication to everything he does in music, and gave listeners an inside view of who Lady Gaga really is. Bolton also told of his excitement working with the great Barbra Streisand. He was also candid enough to talk about the future of his personal life.

In 2011, Yandek spoke with 16 year Michael Jackson colleague and choreographer Travis Payne to discuss the last months of Jackson’s life. Payne told a story about how Jackson was going to perform with Lady Gaga, Diana Ross and Mariah Carey among others during the This Is It tour. Yandek’s two interviews with Michael Jackson’s sister La Toya Jackson were big hits for many people. Chris’s first interview with La Toya brought to light many stories of Michael that were new to many people and became an interview that was talked about across the forums. There was also an in-depth discussion about many topics surrounding her brother’s death in both interviews.

Chris’s 2011 profile with Joss Stone, considered one of the greatest vocalists by many of this current time, received press coverage across the world for her comments on Lady Gaga and Madonna. Ms. Stone gave a very candid profile on her music style, life and the ongoing changes in the music business. Other music acts interviewed over Chris’s career include Spice Girl Mel B, Kimberley Locke, Wynter Gordon Ace Young, Alexandra Taveras, Michael Bivins, Grandmaster Flash and Shontelle among others.

When it comes to everything else in the world of newsmakers and other media figures, Chris has been along for two one-hour conversations with the former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura, discussing the state of America. He spoke with Steve Wozniak formerly of Apple who made many great contributions to the personal computer. He talked with Robin Roberts of Good Morning America months before her very public breast cancer battle. He got a profile from her of the many years she put in to get to where she is today in the media world. Roberts told Yandek after the interview she believed he would go far in the media industry. He asked millionaire and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons if he thinks about the music he puts out to the public and about the aftermath of Don Imus’s comments.

To start of 2011, Pastor Ted Haggard was profiled by Yandek as he continues on his road to redemption. Chris interviewed celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck as he was getting ready for the upcoming Grammy and Oscars. In the second part of 2011, Yandek entered a new subject by now featuring interviews with members of Congress. Chris interviewed newly elected Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Hochul of New York in July 2011. Hochul pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent political history winning the 26th district in New York. Hochul came back for a second interview in August 2011 He’s also spoken with veteran Republican Congressman Walter B. Jones of North Carolina in June of 2011 and September 2011.

In October of 2011, Chris alongside Jay Bildstein made CYInterview history by welcoming their first presidential candidate hopeful Herman Cain. Mr. Cain in the interview said he would be willing to take a pay cut as President and also would propose legislation to Congress to cut their salaries substantially.

A month later in 2011, Republican nominee hopeful for president Michele Bachmann joined Chris and Jay Bildstein for a CYInterview that analyzed Congresswoman Bachmann’s fiscal conservative values. The CYInterview speaks for itself.

He’s gone numerous rounds with high profile attorneys including Gloria Allred, Roy Black, Jeff Ashton and Vincent Bugliosi about numerous timely media and legal stories. He’s also interviewed the Plaboy Playmate of the Year, Tony Award winner and veteran stage actress Anika Noni Rose who voiced Princess Tiana, Disney’s first black princess. He’s also had discussions with some of reality TV’s most well known personalities in America’s Next Top Model Winner Jaslene Gonzalez, Lauren Conrad, Audrina Patridge, Whitney Port and Tila Tequila.

The above are just a few examples. All of these interviews are unabridged, and can be found on CYInterview.com. Yandek has received ongoing coverage from outlets including Page Six of the NY Post, the front page of AOL, TMZ, MTV, the Chicago Sun Times, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Hollywood Life and many other major outlets.

What listeners take away from the broadcasts of 26-year-old Chris Yandek is that here is a man who went to college like many Americans and earned two degrees in journalism, yet worked for 10 years away from studies on his own building on his original talent. Chris has dedicated his life to believing he could interview anyone, secure exclusives and ask the questions others feared to ask. He takes the chance at possibly creating news and angles the public deserves to hear. Chris is all about the work and putting out quality content that will inform the masses on any subject. It’s all he has wanted to do since he interviewed his first subject in 2000 at the age of 15.

He says of interviewing someone, “When I’m on the phone with any celebrity, news maker, I just see them as another human being. Their fame, accomplishments and money have no influence on what I will ask them. We’re all just part of the human race. Some just have more success because they wanted it more and were willing to put in the long hours. I treat my subjects with respect, give them a place to speak at length without interruption, and it’s all on the record, but you can guarantee I will challenge them. It takes a lot of work to secure these interviews, but longevity and dedication go a long way to getting what you want in life.”